The world’s leading seafood processor and exporter
has announced its joining of the International Labor Organization’s Good Labor
Practices (GLP) program. Thai Union Frozen Products (TUF) says that by doing so
it is displaying a commitment to improving working conditions in the seafood
processing industry.

Thailand exported 559,493 tons of canned tuna and
pre-cooked loins in 2012, and TUF is its largest producer. The company’s signing
on to the ILO program comes after many accusations have been targeted towards
the Thai tuna industry, especially from Spain, which has continually accused
Thailand of labor violations and poor working conditions on board Thai fishing
vessels. ANFACO (Spanish Association for Canned Seafood
Producers) has repeatedly shown objection to requests for Thailand to enter into
a free trade agreement for canned tuna exports to the EU. Poor labor conditions
have commonly been the backbone of Spain’s argument. TUF President, Thiraphong Chansiri said: “TUF
already has in place an international code of conduct that regulates our
operations and supply chain to adopt and promote good labor practices and
refrain from engaging in child labor or forced labor from catch to
can.“We have always been committed to good labor
practices. We will continue to take appropriate measures to ensure all labor
practices are of an internationally recognized ethical standard.”Allegations of poor working conditions have come to
light even as recently as the Spanish Tuna Conference in Vigo this month. A UK
based charity (Environmental Justice Foundation) was invited by ANFACO to
present its findings from an investigation into labor violations by the Thai
tuna industry. Accusations stretched as far as onboard murder of migrant
workers. However, in becoming a participant of the program,
TUF vows to uphold the 10 binding principles of the program and commit to
transparency in reporting how its business adheres with globally recognized
ethical standards. Maurizio Bussi, ILO director for Thailand said:
“It’s encouraging to see that a Thai-based global brand like TUF openly supports
good labor practices and will work with our organization to improve the industry
standards in Thailand.”Thiraphong added: “Living up to our international
code of conduct is paramount to our global operations in order to ensure that
TUF and our brands in North America and Europe remain a reliable provider of
safe and premium quality seafood products, a valuable investment for our
shareholders, and a dedicated corporate citizen in our communities and, most
importantly, an employer of choice for our global workforce of more than 32,000
people.”